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Wagons Kia Rondo Rondo vs Outlander/Rav4/Santa Fe/Mazda5
271 messages, Last post on Jul 30, 2008 at 12:09 PM
You are in the Kia Rondo Forum. Your Host is kcram
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Replying to: coolmazda5 (May 25, 2007 5:20 pm) Regardless where KIA stands today wrt. Quality, the car is still a KIA (zero style plus always trying to mimic more expensive cars' designs and functionality). I would wait another 5 years before I check one out. Not sure what "wrt" means. If by quality we mean aesthetics or looks, then that's really in the eye of the beholder. But I happen to agree with your generalization that Kia's vehicles don't seem to be as stylish or as original as vehicles from a lot of other car companies. Aesthetics, however, was far down on my checklist of things that I was looking for in a mini people mover. Don't get me wrong--if a vehicle were truly ugly in my eyes, I probably would be hard pressed to even consider it. But like I said, I'm no car enthusiast, so I couldn't care less about having a hottie of a vehicle or having a vehicle that can go from zero to sixty in a nanosecond. I was mostly concerned about practicality and utility. I think it's safe to say that the majority of people who are looking at these kind of vehicles are primarily concerned about this, too. Having said that, I happen to think that the Mazda5 is a nice combination of utility and style, so those two things aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. Again, beauty being in the eye of the beholder, I've heard some people say that they would never consider the Mazda5 just because it has sliding doors. For me, that's a plus (due to its utility), not a minus (due to its looks). So why did I choose the Rondo? Because it's small, convenient, configurable, has great safety features, has okay mileage, and drives decently. I could be describing the Mazda5, actually (except some would say that it drives better than just decently). The deciding factor, however, was that the Rondo could seat up to seven people. All those things that I mentioned ain't going to rock the world of any car enthusiast, but for what I was looking for, the Rondo does almost everything just right. In fact, car enthusiasts will cringe after I say this  : I don't like having dark tinted windows and I hate how most new cars these days seem to have those tiny streamlined windows at the rear of the vehicle. I want more visibility, not less. Nobody is going to complain that the Rondo is lacking in glass. In fact, some might say that the Rondo looks outdated because of all that glass. That does concern me somewhat, but at the end of the day, being more concerned about practicality and all, all I can say is, "Who cares?" Anyway, I personally think the Rondo is a smart looking vehicle. In another forum, someone mocked me for saying that, basically laughing at me for being so clued out. The truth is, I am mostly clued out about what's fashionable for cars these days. I guess I should have the decency to feel embarrassed about that, but for some reason, I'm just too clued out to care. Coolmazda5 wrote: But please don't take my biased view, just look for Rondo and Mazda5 related public forums (apart from Edmunds, of course). There, you will see why owners prefer Mazda5. Although is a family car, hardcore enthusiasts out there are too many Umm, okay, if you're talking about forums where owners and enthusiasts are saying how great the Mazda5 is, it seems that most people already think that the Mazda5 is a good vehicle so you don't need to convince us of that. If you're talking about forums where there are direct comparisons between the Mazda5 and the Rondo, let me say this: Let's presume that all the comparisons were fair in that actual research was done on both vehicles. Let's also presume that most contributors--both common folks and "hardcore enthusiasts"--concluded that the Mazda5 is the superior vehicle. Now, how does that change the fact that I chose the Rondo primarily because it can seat up to seven and the Mazda5 can't (at least in North America)? If most people chose the Mazda5, what, exactly, am I supposed to do with that information? Does that somehow make the Rondo more "wrong" for me and the Mazda5 more "right" for me? Should I bang my head against the wall and say, "Damn, I had the wrong preferences and I should have preferred only six seats"? You see what I'm trying to say here? I don't really see the point of the pissing contests that always go on in forums like these, because it's always up to individual preferences, anyway. Everyone is always trying to prove with a God-like certainty that "this vehicle is better than that vehicle," but all you really prove is "this vehicle is better than that vehicle for myself." What's really going on here is that you (the generic "you") want your choice to be validated, either by others making the same choice or by dismissing alternative choices. This is just human nature--not like I'm immune to it. You know, I've never once denigrated the Mazda5 in any of my posts just to validate my choice of the Rondo. I wish more people were more secure with their own choices so they don't feel the need to denigrate what others have chosen. I know I'll get knocked around for that comment, as though I'm advocating that everyone should play nice and nobody has the right to say anything negative, even if it happens to be a valid point. No, I'm not really saying that. I'm just saying, if you're being critical about somebody else's choice, look in the mirror and tell yourself that you're not just acting out of insecurity. You can fool yourself, but you aren't fooling me. Yeah, even I'm tired of hearing me talk. 
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Replying to: medicineman (May 26, 2007 6:58 am) The only thing I would reply on (after looking at myself in the mirror) is that I don't feel insecure at all. Don't take me wrong, but to me an insecure person is the one who comes to a Mazda5 forum to talk about another brand or model so to feel that at least "I fight them" even in their land and feel better. IMHO, if I would feel insecure, I would have gone to Rondo's forums and claim Mazda is best and bash KIA. In the meanwhile, as a good democracy, I will say "what I think is right" here. At the end, that is why is called a "forum". I respect people's car decisions, not a problem (it is not my spent money, plus Mazda will not pay me a cent for what I say). Yet, What has tweaked me somehow is that in all the related forums I've seen, the Rondo is always compared to a high-end brand in order to be able to highlight the qualities of the car. From the Mazda5 perspective, I have not seen that at all. Owners just love the car for what it is. But hey, thanks for your comments and I hope that mine were not taken wildly .
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First of all, I don't own either but.... I think Mazda5 overall looks better, sportier....Drove a rental M5 but must say I was underwhelmed by its drving dynamics. Seemed worlds apart from the M3 from which it sprung, but perhaps I shouldn't have gone in expecting M3 agility...I think the M5 needs a bit more power, traction/stability control, and a 5-sp auto. Then it would really kick ass. All 3 of these the Rondo has, so that, IMO, puts it a leg up on the M5....There is a bit of X3 in the Rondo, when viewed from the back, especially where the body line kicks up at the back....Incidentically our local paper just did a comparo between the 2. They praised both, but they picked the Rondo. If I were buying a family kidsmobile now, and need 5+ seating, but don't need 4WD, I would go with the Rondo, mainly because it is better equipped. |
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How did the Rondo and Mazda5 do in the government and Insurance Ind. crash tests? Thanks..... Bubba |
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Replying to: coolmazda5 (May 26, 2007 8:24 am) Don't take me wrong, but to me an insecure person is the one who comes to a Mazda5 forum to talk about another brand or model so to feel that at least "I fight them" even in their land and feel better. IMHO, if I would feel insecure, I would have gone to Rondo's forums and claim Mazda is best and bash KIA. Not sure if you were making a sly reference to it or not, but I actually did make some posts at a Mazda5 forum about the Rondo a couple of months ago. I did say a lot of the same things there as I've said here, so that might have tipped you off (or maybe not). After googling for info on the Rondo, I discovered that forum because it had a pre-existing thread discussing the Rondo. I hadn't purchased the Rondo yet and I wasn't totally sure if it were the right choice. Basically, I participated in that thread to outline my reasons for choosing the Rondo and seeing if I could deal with the feedback. If I ended up being wishy washy about it, that meant perhaps I should think more about it. As it turns out, it clarified my reasons for choosing the Rondo. It was a turning point--quite helpful, really. As for going there due to my insecurities, I have no idea--because I'm usually insecure, anyway. I would make Woody Allen look like a decisive tyrant in comparison.
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Replying to: bprenderson (May 26, 2007 9:12 am) NHTSA I searched both websites but could find only info on the Rondo at NHTSA's website. |
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Replying to: bprenderson (May 26, 2007 9:12 am) This is what I gathered for the Mazda5 when we purchased it. Not sure if it is really what you are looking for (i.e. related to insurance), but here we go . In the past I was not very focused on car safety, but now, with family on-board, the view has changed dramatically, so the articles' related information below supported our purchase: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/cr_mazda5.html http://www.japancorp.net/Article.asp?Art_ID=12380 |
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Replying to: medicineman (May 26, 2007 9:50 am)  But now that I'm thinking, Wouldn't that be funny? Following each other around forums to defend/fight our preferences? The thing that comes to mind now is for Mazda and KIA to find us and hire us as sales guys or something. I'm pretty sure that with our arguments around we have sold at least 2 extra Mazda5s and Rondos each... 
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Replying to: medicineman (May 26, 2007 6:58 am) It is all about individual preferences. Isn't it great that we have so many different cars to choose from? |
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Replying to: medicineman (May 26, 2007 6:58 am) you hit the nail on the head with this one. That's what makes the Rondo appear so large inside (along with its lighter interior - can't stand black interiors). I have noticed on so many new cars over the last couple of years where the windows keep getting smaller and smaller, more noticeable in particular the Chrysler vehicles. I sat in some of their newer models at the Toronto Auto Show last February and it felt like I was looking out of "gun slots" - felt very enclosed and turned me right off! More and more manufacturers are creating these higher beltlines, with less and less glass area.
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